It’s mesquite chips and marinade, the pungent smell of glowing charcoal, flaming succulent meats and fresh caught fish. It’s barbecue, baby backs, burgers and beef. It’s playing with fire, the sizzle and the steak and cooling down with a Cold One. It’s the great American summer pastime, grilling, and it’s celebrated at its peak in July with National Grilling Month.

From coast to coast, several top chefs at Benchmark Hospitality International’s Benchmark Resorts & Hotels® and Personal Luxury Resorts & Hotels® are taking this all-American culinary tradition to new levels, showing their skill on the grill with local favorites that span the shores of the Pacific to the Western mountains, the Deep South, Midwest and Northeast. From a fabulous Florida red snapper recipe to ideas for surf and turf, steak, and pork chops with Bourbon grilled peach relish, backyard chefs will find new inspiration to “think outside the bun.”

Stewed Tomatoes & Okra
Ingredients:
4 slices bacon
1 onion, chopped
3 cups sliced okra
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method:
In a heavy bottomed sauté pan over medium-high heat, add the bacon. Render the bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and reserve. Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the okra and tomatoes, making sure to add the reserved juice from the tomatoes to the sauté pan. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 15 minutes. *Add water or chicken stock if the pan becomes too dry.

Flat Iron Steak
Ingredients:
2 lb. flat iron steak
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. cumin
½ tsp. cracked black pepper
1 ea. lemon zest
Olive oil for grilling
Method:
In a bowl, combine all spices, generously rub spice mixture onto steak, cover with foil and set aside for about an hour.
Pre-heat the grill to high and grill the steak for about 2 min. on each side, lower the temperature and cook for another 2-3 min until desired doneness is reached. Remove from heat and rest for 5 min. prior to slicing steak on a bias into ½ inch slices. Keep in mind to slice against the natural grain of the steak.

Method:
Clean the flank steak of any extra fat or sinew and with the tip of a boning knife, poke holes through the beef. Set aside. Take chipotles, honey, cilantro, soy sauce, lime juice and garlic and place into a food processor or a blender and process the ingredients for a few second, while the motor is running incorporate the oil at a steady stream until all well emulsified. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Take half of the marinade and add to the flank steak, cover with plastic and let marinade for a minimum of 12 hours in the refrigerator.
Set gas or charcoal grill at 350 degrees. Take flank steak out of the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to cooking. Set on grill and cook to a desire temperature, let rest for 10 minutes, slice and serve with remaining marinade.

Grill each patty for approximately 2 minutes per side. Add gruyere or goat cheese when you flip it for the first time. Toast the buns. Brush the rolls with a little bit of the aioli, add a small amount of onions, baby arugula and serve.
Marinated Onions:
1 ea. Medium Red Onion - thin slices
1/2 c. Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 c. Red Wine
Heat vinegar and wine to a simmer. Pour hot liquid over shaved onions. Let steep and cool.

Roasted Aioli (yield 1 qt - will hold in the refrigerator)
4 ea. Egg Yolks
1 tsp. Salt
Pinch White Pepper
1 tsp. Dry Mustard
3 T. White Wine Vinegar
28 oz. Canola Oil
1 c. Roasted Garlic Cloves
Toss roasted garlic cloves in canola oil and place onto baking pan covered with foil and cook at 350 degrees until golden brown and soft to the touch. Strain oil and add garlic.
Whip egg yolks in mixer on high speed until frothy. Add dry ingredients and half the vinegar, whisk to combine. Begin adding the oil, a little at a time, until the mix starts to thicken and an emulsion begins to form. Add the remaining oil in a slow, steady stream, thinning occasionally with vinegar until all has been incorporated. Adjust seasoning and add lemon juice and toasted garlic to taste. Refrigerate until needed.

About Personal Luxury Resorts & Hotels®
Personal Luxury Resorts & Hotels® includes unique hand-picked properties in spectacular U.S. destinations coast to coast. Each hotel and resort delivers personal luxury in a spirit true to its own distinctive locale, yet in keeping with the collection’s shared mission. They represent a select portfolio of Benchmark Hospitality International®, which has been a leading US-based hospitality management company for over 30 years. Personal Luxury Resorts & Hotels is the preferred choice of guests who yearn for transformation over accommodation, customization over conformity, and inspiration over predictability. With Personal Luxury Resorts & Hotels, luxury is always personal. http://www.personalluxuryresortsandhotels.com. To become a fan on Facebook, visit http://www.facebook.com/PersonalLuxuryResortsandHotels, or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/PersLuxResorts.

About Benchmark Resorts & Hotels®
Benchmark Resorts & Hotels® represents the finest in lodging, dining, recreational and meeting accommodations. Many are certified by IACC, the leading professional organization governing the multi-billion dollar conference center industry on five continents, and many have also been recognized with the coveted Benchmark Conference Centers® certification of meeting excellence. Benchmark Resorts & Hotels deliver highly specialized service that anticipates guests’ needs and ensures a hospitality experience unsurpassed and long remembered. http://www.benchmarkresortsandhotels.com. To become a fan on Facebook, visit http://www.facebook.com/BenchmarkResortsandHotels, or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/BenchmarkHotels.